From GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY
The Grand Rapids Historical Society has announced its 250th lecture series celebrating 250 years of American history. The programs arranged chronologically from Fallen Timbers to the Vietnam War will take place from April through October. The speakers will be featured in the auditorium of the historic Grand Rapids Town Hall, 24282 Front St. The program is free and open to the public.
The topic of the next program will be World War I, presented by Dr. Steven Bare. It will take place on Saturday, June 13, at 7 p.m. Bare graduated from the University of Toledo in May 2019 with his Ph.D. in American History. His research focuses on Americans’ historical memory of the Civil War through World War I. Specifically, Bare examines the historical processes and cultural production regarding memory formation of the American Civil War through World War I. In particular, he looks at the processes of reunions, reconciliation, commemorative activities at sites of memory, patriotism, fidelity to the U.S. nation-state, and the cultural production related to historical memory formation. In addition, Bare possesses academic training in public history and historic preservation.
Bare has an article published with the “Tennessee Historical Quarterly” (Summer 2022) on Civil War veterans’ memory formation through joint encampments during reconciliation, the Confederate Museum, and the Spanish-American War. In addition, he is revising another article-length piece for publication dealing with the concept of secular pilgrimages and those conducted by Union veterans after the Civil War. When complete, the latter piece will be submitted to the “Journal of the Civil War Era” and the “Journal of Military History.” Finally, Bare has reviewed a number of scholarly works for journals such as the “Tennessee Historical Quarterly” and the “Journal of Military History.” He possesses over 20 years of teaching experience at the collegiate level. Prior to joining Defiance College, Bare taught as a visiting assistant professor at the University of Toledo. He lives in Sylvania with his dog.
There will be 13 programs presented as part of this lecture series. The community is invited to help celebrate this milestone birthday of the country by attending these programs.
